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Flexible working rights extended | Flexible working rights extended |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Rights to ask for flexible working are to be extended to parents of older children, the government has said. | Rights to ask for flexible working are to be extended to parents of older children, the government has said. |
Currently parents can ask for flexible hours if their children are under six, or are disabled. | Currently parents can ask for flexible hours if their children are under six, or are disabled. |
After the Queen's Speech Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband told the BBC the government would "up the age range to older children". | After the Queen's Speech Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband told the BBC the government would "up the age range to older children". |
The Equal Opportunities Commission has said UK firms lag behind their European counterparts on flexible working. | The Equal Opportunities Commission has said UK firms lag behind their European counterparts on flexible working. |
In the Queen's Speech, the government promised to "bring forward proposals to help people achieve a better balance between work and family life". | In the Queen's Speech, the government promised to "bring forward proposals to help people achieve a better balance between work and family life". |
Independent review | |
Asked what this might mean, Mr Miliband said: "We introduced the right to request flexible working for parents with children under six and that has been quite successful for those parents who've been able to request it. | Asked what this might mean, Mr Miliband said: "We introduced the right to request flexible working for parents with children under six and that has been quite successful for those parents who've been able to request it. |
"I think 90% of those who've requested it have been able to have it. | "I think 90% of those who've requested it have been able to have it. |
"We now want to extend that further up the age range to older children and we're going to look at how we do that working with business and others." | "We now want to extend that further up the age range to older children and we're going to look at how we do that working with business and others." |
Later the government said it had asked Sainsbury's human resources director Imelda Walsh to lead an independent review into how the current right to request flexible working can be extended. | |
She will report back in spring 2008 and the review will be followed by a formal consultation. | |
Flexible working can include working from home, working part-time, compressed hours and flexi-time. |
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